As You Like It
by Cartoonangel79
Summary: The Shakespeare story 'As You Like It' with the Digimon characters. Please read and review.
1. The Cast

****

Author's Note: Hi everyone! This is my first story on FanFiction.net so I hope everyone enjoys it! Mimi and Sora are cousins in it and Matt and Tai are brothers. Piedmon is just one of the generic villains from the show so I used him for the evil duke. They may seem a little out of character but everything will eventually fall into place. Please read and review but no flames please. Constructive criticism is welcome though.

****

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon and I don't own As You Like It by Shakespeare.

****

As You Like It:

The Banished Duke- Duke Gennai

Duke Frederick- Duke Piedmon

Rosalind- Sora 

Celia- Mimi

Orlando- Matt

Oliver- Tai


	2. As You Like It Chapter One

****

Author's Note: Sorry, I forgot to mention in the cast chapter that this will be Sorato and Michi. Thanks! Enjoy and on with the fic!

****

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon and I don't own As You Like It by Shakespeare.

****

As You Like It Chapter One:

When France was divided into dukedoms, one of them was ruled by a usurper who had stolen the dukedom from his elder brother. The lawful Duke Gennai had been driven from his lands to the Digital Forest. Here the good duke lived with those who were his closest friends, for they had voluntarily put themselves into exile for his sake. This meant that lands and money enriched the false duke, Duke Piedmon. They soon grew used to the relaxed life they led here and found it pleasanter than the pomp and uneasy splendor of the court. Many young men from the court joined them and the time passed very pleasantly. In summer, they stretched out under the shade of the large forest trees, watching the wild deer play. They grew so fond of these silly dappled animals that they were sorry when they had to kill them for food. When the cold winds of winter made Duke Gennai feel this change of fortune, he put up with them patiently, saying, "These cold winds blow blowing my body are true counsellors. They do not flatter, but truly present my condition to me. Although they bite sharply, their tooth is nothing like so keen as that biting hurt of unkindness and ingratitude. Good use can be made of unfortunate circumstances." In this way the patient duke drew a useful moral from everything that he saw. In this life, remote from public places, he could find conversation in the sounds of trees, ideas in running water, and good in everything.

****


	3. As You Like It Chapter Two

****

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon and I don't own As You Like It by Shakespeare. On with the fic!

****

As You Like It Chapter Two:

Duke Gennai had had a daughter called Sora. She had hair of auburn that reached to just below her chin, and vivacious eyes of brown with a reddish tint to them. The usurping Duke Piedmon still kept her at his court as a friend for his own daughter, Mimi. Mimi had wavy shoulder length brown hair and eyes of a lighter brown than her friend's. The two girls were very close friends and the disagreement between their fathers did not spoil their affection. Mimi took every opportunity to make up to Sora for her father's injustice to Sora's. Whenever thoughts of her father's banishment and her own dependence on her uncle would distress Sora, Mimi's overall caring and sincere nature would bring her to comfort and console her.

One day, when Mimi was talking to Sora in her usual kind way, saying, "Please Sora, my sweet cousin, be merry," a messenger from Duke Piedmon entered. "The duke requests your presence at the wrestling match at the front of the palace if you so wish. It will begin in a few moments," said the messenger.

"That would be wonderful, thank you," said Mimi. She thought that perhaps it would amuse Sora and therefore cheer her up if she went and saw it.

In those days, wrestling was a favorite sport, so Mimi and Sora went to watch. They found that it was likely to prove a very tragic sight, for a large, powerful champion who had already injured and killed many challengers, was just going to wrestle with a very young and inexperienced man, who would most certainly be killed.

When the duke say Mimi and Sora, he said "Hallo, daughter and niece, have you come to see the wrestling? You will take little delight in it; the two men are so unequally matched. Out of pity for this young man, I would like to persuade him not to compete. Speak to him, girls, and see if you can persuade him."

The girls, being of the most compassionate of sorts, were eager to undertake this humane task. Sora went up to the young gentleman who's back was to the girls and lightly tapped his shoulder. When he turned around Sora was quite taken with his physical appearance. "Yes?" he inquired. He had unruly blonde hair and eyes of such a rare and deep blue that Sora was afraid if she didn't focus on her task they would never open again. "Sir, my name is Sora, and this is my dear cousin Mimi. We wish to persuade you against the task which you seek to undertake." 

"And why is that might I ask?" asked Matt, searching for any sign of jest and malice in the girl, Sora's, vivacious eyes. All he found was care and concern but for what reason? 

"The man you are fighting is quite powerful. His strength has had yet to be tested, for there have been no victors against him. I fear for you and should surely not want to see you in danger," she said.

Matt was awed by this young woman. So beautiful and caring she was. His thoughts turned, not to withdrawing from the contest, but showing his courage to this lovely young woman. "I am sorry to deny such beautiful and excellent ladies anything. But let your pretty eyes and gentle wishes go with me to my trial of strength. If I lose, then I shall be shamed, but I was never gracious in the first place. If I am killed, it doesn't matter, because I am willing to die. I shan't upset my friends because I haven't got any. My death won't make the world a poorer place for I have nothing; I only fill up a place in the world which may be used by something better when I have made it empty." And with that, he went on to fight.


	4. As You Like It Chapter Three

****

Disclaimer: Io non possedo ne Digimon ne As You Like It da Shakespeare.

****

Author's Note: The disclaimer is in Italian, you know like Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew? Never mind. Anyways, who was the young (unabashedly handsome) man willing to risk his life to impress Sora thereby making a death wish? Hmm... anyways, nothing much to say really so here's the next part! Enjoy!

****

As You Like It Chapter 3

The wrestling match began. Mimi hoped the young man would not be hurt, but Sora felt the most for him. His friendless state and the way he had said he wished to die made Sora think that he was, like herself, unlucky. She pitied him so much and was so concerned about his danger while he was wrestling, that she might be almost said to have fallen in love with him at that moment. 

The kindness of the two girls gave the unknown young man courage and strength so that he performed wonders. In the end he totally defeated the duke's wrestler, who was so winded that he was unable to speak or move for awhile.

The Duke Piedmon was delighted with the young stranger's courage. "What is your name good lad?" he asked, wanting to take him under his protection.

"I am Matt, the youngest son of Sir Ishida de Boys," replied the young victor.

"What!" screamed Duke Piedmon. Sir Ishida had been dead for some years, but when he was living, he had been a true subject and dear friend of Duke Gennai. When Piedmon heard Matt was the son of his banished brother's friend, all his liking for this brave young man was changed into displeasure. 

"I do wish that you, Matt, could have been the son of any other man," he said in disgust, for he hated to hear the very name of any of his brother's friends. He left the place in a very bad temper. 

Sora was delighted to hear that her new favorite was the son of her father's old friend. She said to Mimi, "My father loved Sir Ishida de Boys and if I had known this young man was his son, I would have added tears to my pleading before he should have tried his strength."

The girls went up to him, and seeing him hurt by the duke's sudden displeasure, they spoke kind and encouraging words to him. "Wonderful job!" exclaimed Mimi. 

"Yes it was quite amazing that you should win against my uncle's wrestler," said Sora.

"Well I am quite glad that I have won the approval of two very kind and truly genuine ladies," said Matt. 

"Yes, well, thank you," stuttered Sora for she felt his gaze was truly breathtaking. As they were about to leave, Sora turned back to give the young man yet another token of her praise. "Wear this for me," she said as she took a chain from around her neck. "I am out of luck at the moment or I would give you a more valuable present."

When they were alone, Sora's conversation was still full of Matt. Mimi began to realize that her cousin had fallen in love with the handsome young wrestler and she said to Sora, "Is it possible you could fall in love so suddenly?"

Sora replied, "The duke, my father, loved his father dearly."

"But," Mimi said, "does it follow that you should love his son dearly? Then I ought to hate him, for my father hated his father, but I do not hate Matt."

Piedmon was in a filthy temper after seeing Sir Ishida de Boys' son who reminded him of the many friends his banished brother had. Having been displeased with his niece for some time because people praised her for her goodness and pitied her for her father's sake, his spite suddenly broke out against her. While Sora and Mimi were chatting about Matt, Piedmon strode into the room. "How dare you speak of that man who is so deeply in association with your father! I demand you leave the palace right away and follow your father into exile!"

"Please father, let her stay," said Mimi, taken aback by the thought of being without her best friend.

"I will not! I have only put up with her on your account dear daughter, but I will not any longer!" said the duke.

"I did not then," said Mimi, "beg you to let her stay, for I was too young at that time to value her. Now that I know her worth, and because for so long we have slept in the same room, got up at the same instant, learned, played, and eaten together, I cannot live without her."

Piedmon replied, "She is too sly for you. Her smoothness, her very silence and her patience speak to the people and they pity her. You are a fool to plead for her. When she is gone you will seem brighter and better. So do not open your mouth ion her favor, for the judgement which I have passed upon her cannot be taken back." 

When Mimi found she could not persuade her father to let Sora stay with her, she generously decided to go with her. "Your my best friend Sora, a sister almost. I couldn't let you leave without me." 

"Oh Mimi, I'm so sorry things couldn't have been worked out."

"It's alright Sora. We'll be okay."

Leaving her father's palace that night, she went along with her friend to look for Sora's father, Duke Gennai, in the Digital Forest. 

Mimi thought that is would be unsafe for two young women to travel in the rich clothes they usually wore. "Perhaps we should dress ourselves as country girls," said Mimi.

"It would be a still greater protection if one of us dressed like a man. Because I am taller, I think that I should wear the boy's clothes, and you should dress as a country lass."

"A wonderful idea Sora! Let us say we are brother and sister. I will call myself Aliena," said Mimi.

"And I shall be Ganymede," said Sora.

In these disguises, and taking their money and jewels to pay for whatever they needed, the two girls set out on their long journey. The Digital Forest was a long way off, and they knew they would need their strength to reach beyond the boundaries of the duke's lands.


End file.
